Toronto, June 20, 2008- The Ontario Public School Boards’ Association (OPSBA) is pleased to announce that Grace Fox, a trustee with the Rainbow District School Board, has been reaffirmed as First Nations Director. Now serving for a third term, Grace will be supported in her role as First Nations Director by Howard Archibald, a trustee from District School Board Ontario North East, who was elected as her Alternate on OPSBA’s Board of Directors.

During the past two years, Grace Fox has made an outstanding contribution to the education of First Nations students. Under Grace’s leadership and with the support of the Council of First Nations trustees, there has been a marked increase in cultural awareness on First Nation education issues and a strong emphasis on building relationships among school boards, First Nation communities and Ontario?s Aboriginal Education Office.

“The infusion of First Nation culture, history and perspectives in the Ontario curriculum must be accurate, relevant and respectful,” said Grace Fox. “One of my goals as First Nations Director is to promote the development of curriculum resources by First Nation educators which become widely circulated throughout the school system.”

OPSBA looks to the coming years as an unparalleled opportunity to work with First Nation educators and communities to strengthen public education for First Nations students. The OPSBA Board of Directors will continue to draw on Grace’s expertise as an educator and leader to guide the system in this work.

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For more information, please contact:

Jeff Sprang
OPSBA Communications
(416) 340-2540